I was born and raised in Norman, Oklahoma and graduated from Norman High School in 1978. Following high school, I attended the University of Kansas, graduating in 1982 with a Bachelor's Degree in Human Biology. Although my father is a dentist, it was not in my original plan to become one myself; after all, I had to rebel and do my own thing, right? One problem with this plan was that I couldn't help but notice how much my dad enjoyed what he did, how he thrived on the relationships he developed with his patients over the years, and how much he enjoyed learning new things and changing people's lives. I decided I wanted the same fulfillment in my career, so I swallowed my pride, admitted my dad was right, and attended the University of Oklahoma College of Dentistry, graduating in 1986. Although it was somewhat painful to attend school with a bunch of Oklahoma Sooners, I survived and was able to purchase the Lawrence practice of Dr. John Albers soon after graduation.

From 1987 until 1999, I practiced in both Lawrence and Tonganoxie, dividing the time between them. Following the sale of my Lawrence practice in 1998, I have settled full time in Tonganoxie, a wonderful small town with great people. Although I don't live there, Tonganoxie feels like home to me.

I married my high school sweetheart, Michele, in 1981. She supported me through dental school, helped get both of my practices up and running back in the days when we didn't know what we were doing, and is still an integral part of our office team. She is my partner and best friend and she can take most of the credit (or blame) for who I am today. We have two amazing daughters: Julie, who graduated in 2007 with a degree in Performance Studies from Northwestern University in Chicago. She has her own theatre company, teaches drama, and performs and directs shows. Macy graduated from KU in 2011, and is an account executive for a Kansas City marketing firm.